Avvim עַוִּים
Ancient people who inhabited the Gaza area
Who is Avvim in the Bible?
The Avvim were an ancient people who inhabited the Gaza region during biblical times, living in villages in that area until they were destroyed by the Caphtorim, also known as the Philistines (Deuteronomy 2:23). After the Caphtorim came from their homeland of Caphtor, they displaced the Avvim and settled in their place, becoming the dominant power in the coastal regions. Joshua 13:3 also mentions the Avvim among the various peoples whose lands remained to be conquered by the Israelites. Little is known about their culture or history beyond these brief biblical references, and their destruction represents one of many population shifts that occurred in the ancient Near East during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The Avvim's fate illustrates the displacement of indigenous peoples as new groups migrated and conquered territories in the Levantine region.
Biography
The Avvim were an ancient people mentioned in the Old Testament as early inhabitants of the Gaza region. In Deu.2.23, it is stated that the Avvim lived in villages as far as Gaza until the Caphtorim (Philistines) came from Caphtor and destroyed them, settling in their place. Jos.13.3 also mentions the Avvim as one of the groups living in the land that remained to be conquered by the Israelites. The Avvim are not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, and little is known about their culture or history outside of these brief references. Their destruction by the Caphtorim (Philistines) suggests that they were one of the many people groups displaced or assimilated during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age in the region.
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 2 with study contentDeuteronomy 1 verse
- Deuteronomy 2:23
"And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, were destroyed by the Caphtorites, who came out of Caphtor and settled in their place.)"
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Joshua 1 verse
- Joshua 13:3
"from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;"
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Hebrew | עַוִּים | Avvim (as inhabited by Avvites), a place in Palestine (with the article prefix) |